"Only a month. Just enough to know which end of the sword to hold. Everything you are seeing here is his... natural gift, I suppose you could call it." The companion folded her hands into her sleeves.
"A month? That's all?" The Prince raised his eyebrows.
"Indeed."
"I suppose his heritage is to thank for his nimbleness, but still... he moves like water. I've never seen an elf that fast, or that sure footed... and I've seen the dangerous ones up close." He scratched idly at the scar on his shoulder, buried deep beneath layers of royal clothing.
"Of course, your eminence. Like I said, he is naturally gifted in the art of combat. But, I'm afraid he might not be what you are looking for." The teacher shifted nervously on her feet. "His gift comes at an unusual price, it seems."
The Prince looked sideways at the trainer, a woman who was usually very straightforward. It was odd to see her so evasive. He returned his gaze to the boy on the field. The child was simultaneously fighting three of the Prince's royal guard, each more than twice his age and likely thrice his weight. And he was winning. They could make not an inch of ground on the boy. His blade flashed like lightning, punishing every misstep, capitalizing on every shift of weight, slipping inside every dropped guard. It was like a beautiful dance. With a twist and a snap, he sliced off one of the guard's breastplates, leaving his midsection fully exposed. The look of shock on the guard's face was worth the expense of the entire trip here, thought the Prince.
"Aturar!" the trainer called out, stopping the fight. When the word reached his ears, he changed in an instant. His stance shifted from a low combat crouch to the straight backed posture of a court noble. His face shifted from a perceptive grimace into a relaxed, unfixed gaze. He almost dropped the sword. But the most fascinating thing the Prince noticed, was that the boy began breathing again. Calm, deep breaths. Had he not been breathing for the entire match?
"Good work, Elumene. Come here." She waved the boy over. He nodded, and began to stride over before remembering at the last moment to bow to his opponents. They were all breathing in ragged gasps, and nodded back. One of them handed the fallen breastplate to his compatriot, and they looked on with awe at the boy as he strode off. The Prince waved them away.
"Report, Elumene." She questioned him.
"Skilled opponents, Teacher. Poor footwork on the largest one. Very experienced to make up for it. Strong, but lack speed. All excellent swordsmen." He answered, expressionless. He continued to breathe deeply and quickly.
"How did you survive the match?"
"Using their bulk to my advantage. Not allowing them to get full swings of their sword by keeping them together. Fighting from inside reach. Most importantly, they were hesitant about striking a child. A weakness easy to exploit." His eyes remained cold and emotionless during his entire response. The Prince felt a chill run up his spine.
"How do you feel?" The teacher asked, surprisingly softly.
The boy looked at her. His face contorted into a mask of mild confusion.
"I don't understand."
"How do you feel? You've just successfully defended yourself against three of the King's Guard. How does that make you feel." She pressed.
His face maintained the mask for another few seconds. He shifted his gaze to the Prince, and then back to his instructor. The mask fell away, and all that remained was the cold stare of the elf child.
He shrugged.
"Very well. Go, clean up. You have a meal soon, I believe. Good work." She waved him off. He bowed to both of them, and hurried away.
"So you can see... his skills are impressive but he would do ill in a court setting my liege." She offered, starting to turn away. The Prince's gaze was fixed on the child leaving.
"No. I will take him."
"But..."
"I have not, in my life, seen skill like that. I will take him, and make him into a gentleman myself if I must. If nothing else, I will not allow power such as that into the hands of anyone else. Have him packed and ready to depart for the city tomorrow morning."
"Yes, your eminence." She bowed lightly to her Prince.
"And... thank you, Meleen. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention."
"My pleasure of course." She smiled to him. He smiled back, an action which she knew was well practiced but no less beaming.
"Now, did I hear you mention something about a meal? I'm famished." He offered her his elbow, and they left the training pits together.
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